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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · ground · cabinet · plane · dip · perch · mark · net

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. perch — the fish
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a grade
  19. ground — the earth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. net — for catching
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com