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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · band · safe · fall · calf · ground · net · season

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a music group
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a ring
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — the season
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — to drop

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