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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: craft · plane · pitcher · ground · press · net · fine · pit

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — all right
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — in a race
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pit — a hole
  15. press — to push
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. net — in sport
  21. ground — a position
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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