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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: net · racket · content · lie · can · stand · game · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. net — after costs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. game — a match
  12. net — in sport
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. net — for catching
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. racket — for tennis

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