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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: patient · squash · net · ball · plane · saw · bowl · deal

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — the sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. plane — a tool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a dance
  24. net — for catching

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