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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.

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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 · bank · chest · spell · pass · racket · saw · stick

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chest — of your body
  5. net — after costs
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. bank — for money
  15. chest — a box
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. net — in sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spell — a short time
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chest — of your body

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