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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 · present · land · squash · snap · track · trunk · ball

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a dance
  4. present — a gift
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. track — to keep track
  7. squash — to crush
  8. snap — to click
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. land — a country
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. squash — the sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ball — a great time
  21. present — the time now
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. land — ground

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