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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. net — for catching
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. net — after costs
  11. field — a subject
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — soda
  14. field — farmland
  15. chest — of your body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chest — of your body

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