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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: land · racket · stock · pop · leaves · pitcher · ball · mouse

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. stock — goods
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — shares
  17. land — to come down
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — to visit
  22. land — ground
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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