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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: stand · toast · trunk · racket · sharp · bay · net · plane

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. net — after costs
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. toast — bread
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — for spectators

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