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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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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: pound · nail · ball · racket · track · bat · bay · kick

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a path
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. track — a song
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ball — a dance

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