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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: racket · scale · ground · track · object · foot · kick · can

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — a song
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — to protest
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ground — a position
  20. track — a path
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kick — in football
  24. ground — the earth

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