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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: snap · racket · mate · net · mug · sharp · rule · prune

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a partner
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — government
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — to rob
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a face
  15. mate — a friend
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mug — a cup
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. snap — to click
  21. rule — a law
  22. net — in sport
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mate — to breed

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