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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. key — the most important part
  6. net — after costs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. band — a ring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — for a lock

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