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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 120 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
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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: racket · leaves · can · mate · tear · net · pop · squash

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. can — to be able to
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pop — to visit
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — music
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. squash — the sport
  14. net — in sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — for catching
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — soda
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mate — a friend
  24. net — after costs

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