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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: ball · nail · bound · pitch · net · roll · wave · ground

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bound — obliged
  6. roll — a cake
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — after costs
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ground — a position
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ground — crushed
  23. roll — a list
  24. bound — certain

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