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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 120 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
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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: pit · object · net · game · ball · wake · coach · cell

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — an aim
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. net — after costs
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. object — to protest
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — a trail
  13. net — for catching
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — a hole

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