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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 116 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: season · squash · court · net · plane · leaves · pass · drill

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — of the year
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — in sport
  8. court — of law
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. court — of a king
  18. net — in sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. court — for sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — army training

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