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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 120 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: racket · fall · fork · ball · track · mark

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a path
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — the season
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a dance

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