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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: bat · ball · plane · cabinet · game · wave · safe · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bat — the animal

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