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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: mate · present · rock · rash · fine · season · kick · racket

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — all right
  5. present — the time now
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fine — high quality
  8. present — there
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kick — in football
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. season — of the year

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