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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 · safe · net · coach · wave · land · sharp · mark

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. ball — a dance
  2. net — for catching
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. land — a country
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a trace
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. land — to come down
  13. net — after costs
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. land — ground
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. net — in sport
  23. sharp — clever
  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