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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: ground · wave · dip · bowl · net · fall · perch · track

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. net — for catching
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. track — a path
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — a position
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. ground — crushed
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — the season
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ground — the earth
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. perch — for a bird

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