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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: net · plane · mark · season · capital · bound · racket · fine

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. net — in sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. capital — money
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bound — tied together
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fine — all right
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bound — certain
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. plane — an aircraft

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