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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: mate · object · racket · cue · cap · row · jam · net

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. object — a thing
  3. cue — a signal
  4. row — to paddle
  5. object — to protest
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. object — an aim
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — a line
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — after costs
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — for pool
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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