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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 · track · saw · rest · court · tube · squash · pound

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a song
  3. court — of a king
  4. pound — a weight
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tube — the underground
  9. court — of law
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — a container
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — for sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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