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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: bowl · mine · bass · net · lean · court · plane · jam

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. court — of a king
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lean — thin
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. plane — a tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bass — the fish

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