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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 120 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: stand · racket · game · cap · snap · tube · field · ball

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cap — a hat
  7. game — a match
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cap — a lid
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tube — a container
  13. stand — to bear
  14. field — farmland
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tube — the underground
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — a loud noise

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