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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
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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: pass · row · net · mark · leaves · racket · snap · sharp

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. snap — to click
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. row — a line
  7. mark — a trace
  8. row — to paddle
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. net — in sport
  11. sharp — clever
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — after costs
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. net — for catching

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