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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: net · board · root · sharp · racket · vault · pass · mug

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. root — of a word
  5. board — a committee
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — clever
  8. board — to get on
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — in sport
  13. mug — a face
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — the cause
  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