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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: racket · mouse · nail · march · ground · ball

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a great time
  4. march — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — for a computer

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