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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: bowl · court · leaves · net · lash · mate · tube · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. court — for sport
  6. swing — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. mate — a friend
  9. court — of a king
  10. tube — the underground
  11. swing — in golf
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — to breed
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. mate — a partner
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — in sport
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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