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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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468
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: net · cabinet · cap · racket · toast · stick · dip · plane

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — after costs
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — of ice
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to sink
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — for catching
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. toast — bread
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cap — a hat
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cap — a lid

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