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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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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: tube · rest · kick · wake · pound · bay · net · court

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. court — for sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — in sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. court — of a king
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — of law
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rest — a break
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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