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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: drill · pit · jam · face · net · wake · craft · wave

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. net — after costs
  5. face — to confront
  6. net — for catching
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. drill — the tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pit — a hole
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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