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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: mate · key · racket · mug · net · clip · chest · stem

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. key — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a face
  8. net — after costs
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — the most important part
  13. net — in sport
  14. chest — a box
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — to rob
  17. key — for a lock
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chest — of your body
  22. clip — a video
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — a cup

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