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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: present · roll · press · hand · net · plane · season · racket

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. roll — a cake
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. season — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. net — after costs
  8. press — a publisher
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. press — newspapers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. net — in sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. press — to push
  24. hand — help

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