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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: last · wave · drill · net · game · bulb · mug · racket

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. net — after costs
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. drill — a practice
  5. last — finally
  6. net — for catching
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. net — in sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. last — final
  22. game — a match
  23. racket — for tennis
  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