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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: track · ball · fan · racket · net · object · field · row

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. object — an aim
  3. row — to paddle
  4. track — a path
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a line
  8. net — after costs
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. field — farmland
  13. ball — a great time
  14. net — in sport
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. net — for catching
  23. object — to protest
  24. ball — a dance

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