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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: racket · hide · season · safe · mark · net · cue · bowl

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. season — in sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — in sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. season — of the year
  13. net — for catching
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. net — after costs
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mark — a trace

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