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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: net · roll · ball · pop · stand · wave · rest · race

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. roll — a list
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pop — music
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — for catching
  9. race — humankind
  10. rest — a break
  11. roll — a cake
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pop — soda
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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