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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: ball · net · mug · stem · racket · scale · bay · field

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. net — for catching
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ball — a dance
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. field — a subject
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. racket — for tennis

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