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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: pitcher · bowl · wave · race · stick · hide · ball · net

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. net — in sport
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — humankind
  10. net — after costs
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. race — a contest
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. net — for catching
  23. race — the arms race
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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