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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: season · racket · wave · bowl · fan · net · pop · cabinet

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. pop — to visit
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — soda
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pop — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — for catching
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. net — in sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — in sport

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