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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: racket · staff · object · court · dip · date · wind · track

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — a path
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. track — a song
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. dip — to sink
  12. court — of a king
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. court — for sport
  19. staff — a stick
  20. date — the fruit
  21. object — to protest
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — of law
  24. track — to keep track

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