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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.

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: net · kick · sharp · ball · racket · wax · bass · bore

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — for catching
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bore — to drill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. net — in sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — in football
  24. net — after costs

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