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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: ball · present · net · mate · key · racket · shower · plane

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. shower — to wash
  4. key — in music
  5. ball — a great time
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — there
  10. mate — a partner
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — a tool
  19. shower — rain
  20. key — for a lock
  21. mate — a friend
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ball — a dance
  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