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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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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: stick · stand · roll · rock · bulb · net · racket · sharp

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — in sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. net — for catching
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. roll — a list
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rock — music
  24. sharp — exactly

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