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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 116 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
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — in sport
  4. pop — music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. spell — letters
  8. net — for catching
  9. spell — magic
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pop — soda
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis

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