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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: net · foot · deal · lean · ground · present · racket · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ground — a position
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ground — crushed
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. present — a gift
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. ground — the earth
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rock — a stone
  16. present — the time now
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. foot — a measure
  19. present — there
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lean — thin
  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