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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: suit · drill · wave · net · bulb · ground · kid · cue

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cue — for pool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — for catching
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — after costs
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. drill — army training
  24. wave — of the sea

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