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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: drill · mark · rock · craft · net · mate · mug · racket

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a face
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. mate — a partner
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. drill — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — music
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — a grade
  22. net — after costs
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — to pay attention

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