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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 · season · ground · can · ball · file · kick · fall

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — the earth
  6. season — in sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fall — the season
  10. can — to be able to
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a great time
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. season — of the year
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fall — to drop
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. file — a document
  19. kick — in football
  20. ground — crushed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a tool
  24. ground — a position

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