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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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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. scale — size or range
  5. present — there
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. present — the time now
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. scale — in music
  21. mark — a trace
  22. present — a gift
  23. track — to keep track
  24. plane — a tool

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