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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: saw · can · racket · mine · court · scale · ground · nail

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mine — for digging
  5. court — for sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ground — a position
  10. court — of law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — belonging to me

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