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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: ball · rock · track · plane · squash · spring · ground · racket

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ground — the earth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a dance
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. track — a song
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spring — of water
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. track — a path

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