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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: saw · key · hand · plane · present · racket · bat · bass

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — a gift
  10. hand — help
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. key — in music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. plane — a tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. saw — the tool

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