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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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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: wave · net · drill · stick · ball · cap

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. drill — the tool
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport

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