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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: spell · racket · sharp · perch · present · plane · saw · net

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. present — the time now
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — a gift
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. spell — a short time
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — magic
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. 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