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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: field · scale · ball · racket · bay · bound · leaves · present

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. present — a gift
  3. field — farmland
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. present — there
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bound — tied together
  11. field — for sport
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ball — a great time
  19. scale — size or range
  20. field — a subject
  21. present — the time now
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bay — a horse colour

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