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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: mark · net · ball · track · suit · cabinet · file · game

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — after costs
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a grade
  8. game — wild animals
  9. track — a path
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — in cards
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a tool
  17. track — a song
  18. net — for catching
  19. game — a match
  20. suit — clothes
  21. net — in sport
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. ball — a great time
  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