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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: rock · bat · cap · stand · plane · craft · game · net

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. game — a match
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rock — music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rock — to move gently

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