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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.

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: ball · racket · coach · fan · plane · club · leaves · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for golf
  8. plane — a tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. club — a group
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fan — a supporter

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