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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.

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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 · field · vault · game · deal · net · firm · mouse

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — wild animals
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. field — a subject
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. firm — a company
  12. deal — to handle
  13. field — for sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. net — in sport
  24. vault — a safe

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