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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: land · fine · bear · press · ball · prune · track · racket

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — to push
  7. ball — a dance
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. land — ground
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. fine — high quality
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — all right

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