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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: court · stem · bowl · lean · net · plane · roll · charge

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. net — in sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — for catching
  17. roll — a list
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of law
  23. stem — to come from
  24. plane — an aircraft

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