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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: dip · net · object · club · hand · present · racket · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — to sink
  5. present — there
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — for golf
  8. object — to protest
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — for catching
  11. object — a thing
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — after costs
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. present — a gift
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mate — a partner
  18. club — a group
  19. mate — a friend
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — an aim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — in sport

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