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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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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: ball · fine · net · land · stick · object · roll · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — to protest
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — in sport
  16. land — to come down
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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