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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 · cue · net · straw · calf · pitch · court · track

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a song
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of a king
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cue — a signal
  12. court — for sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. court — of law
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. track — a path
  23. net — for catching
  24. calf — of the leg

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