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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: ground · ball · racket · roll · hand · present · toast · track

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. present — there
  5. ground — a position
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. present — a gift
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ball — a great time
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. toast — bread
  16. ball — a dance
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. roll — a cake
  23. track — a song
  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