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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · wake · ball · bank · racket · file · net · object

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. file — a document
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. net — after costs
  15. file — a tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. object — an aim
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. game — a match
  24. object — a thing

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