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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 · foot · racket · chest · object · ball · fall · fine

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fall — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. object — to protest
  8. fine — all right
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chest — a box
  13. fall — to drop
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fall — to drop
  24. foot — the bottom

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