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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: date · firm · band · scale · game · vault · ground · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — decided
  3. game — a match
  4. firm — a company
  5. band — a music group
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ground — the earth
  8. band — a ring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. vault — a safe
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ground — crushed
  17. scale — size or range
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. scale — in music
  21. firm — steady
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  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