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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
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: spring · net · wave · club · cue · firm · mouse · file

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. firm — a company
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. net — in sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. file — a line of people
  13. club — a group
  14. file — a document
  15. firm — decided
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spring — a coil
  20. file — a tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. firm — steady
  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