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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.

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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — for pool
  5. current — of water
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — happy
  9. cue — a hint
  10. net — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — happening now
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cue — a signal
  18. current — electric
  19. content — the amount
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a great time

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