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

Word bank: wave · net · ruler · ball · pitch · kid · content · temple

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. kid — child
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. content — the amount
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. net — for catching
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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