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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: bowl · key · roll · racket · net · pit · coach · wave

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — in music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. key — for a lock
  6. roll — a list
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. roll — a cake
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — a hole
  13. net — for catching
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pit — in a race
  16. net — after costs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — in sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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