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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: row · cap · ball · net · game · track · stick · squash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. squash — the sport
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cap — a hat
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. net — for catching
  17. game — a match
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — of ice
  20. row — a line
  21. game — wild animals
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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