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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: racket · net · court · track · hide · pass · wake · cold

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wake — a trail
  5. court — for sport
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. net — in sport
  9. court — of law
  10. net — for catching
  11. cold — an illness
  12. net — after costs
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — a path
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a song
  24. cold — not warm

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