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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · wind · suit · field · ball · firm · mine · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — farmland
  4. firm — decided
  5. suit — to fit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a dance
  8. net — for catching
  9. firm — steady
  10. mine — for digging
  11. field — a subject
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — clothes
  18. field — for sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — after costs
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wind — moving air

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