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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 · game · face · bass · track · kick · mine · object

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bass — the fish
  3. face — part of the head
  4. track — to keep track
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — a song
  8. kick — in football
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — low music
  13. game — a match
  14. object — a thing
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. object — an aim
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. object — to protest
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. track — a path

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