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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: ground · track · file · rush · ball · racket · bound · cue

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — certain
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — a position
  9. file — a document
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cue — for pool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ground — crushed
  16. track — a song
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — tied together
  20. file — a line of people
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a signal

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