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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · pit · racket · mate · bat · board · plane · rock

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rock — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bat — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pit — in a race
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — to get on
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rock — a stone
  23. roll — a list
  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