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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 116 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: safe · wake · present · racket · row · band · game · net

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — a trail
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. net — after costs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — the time now
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — a match
  19. net — in sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — a line

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