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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · kick · wave · net · ball · firm · bay · rush

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ground — a position
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. firm — decided
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. firm — steady
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ball — a dance
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. firm — a company
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. ground — crushed

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