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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bark · tube · staff · cabinet · net · plane · rock

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — in sport
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. net — after costs
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — to shout
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. net — for catching
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — music

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