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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 · lie · game · season · kick · scale · foot · track

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. season — in sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. season — of the year
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. game — wild animals
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. scale — in music
  13. track — a path
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lie — to recline
  16. track — a song
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — a match
  19. track — to keep track
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kick — a thrill

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