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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 116 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 · racket · fan · ground · object · pass · race · season

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — a contest
  5. net — in sport
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — to protest
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — a permit
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. race — the arms race
  16. object — a thing
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. race — humankind
  19. ground — a position
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. object — an aim

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