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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: rash · swing · net · mate · foot · wake · mine · racket

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. net — for catching
  6. wake — a trail
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. swing — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — a friend
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mate — to breed
  19. net — in sport
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rash — a series
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. foot — a measure

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