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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: bass · bay · deal · net · kid · mark · snap · wave

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kid — child
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — for catching
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. net — in sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — low music
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. deal — to handle

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