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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: suit · wave · wind · bay · current · ball · net · kid

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. suit — clothes
  4. current — of water
  5. kid — to tease
  6. net — for catching
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ball — a dance
  11. net — in sport
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. suit — in cards
  14. current — electric
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. current — happening now
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a great time
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. kid — child

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