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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: ground · fork · mug · lean · roll · ball · net · wake

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. net — for catching
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fork — in a road
  13. net — after costs
  14. ground — a position
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lean — thin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. roll — a list
  19. net — in sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lean — to rest against

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