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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: track · racket · rest · squash · spell · wax · net · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — for catching
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — magic
  7. track — a song
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. net — in sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — letters
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — a path
  22. spell — a short time
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. squash — the vegetable

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