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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
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: net · pass · spell · mine · pitcher · racket · mate · plane

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. net — after costs
  24. spell — letters

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