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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: rush · bank · racket · track · fine · bowl · ground · pitch

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ground — crushed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. track — a song
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fine — all right
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ground — a position
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. track — a path
  24. bank — for money

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