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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 116 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: track · pitch · mouse · squash · spring · chip · can · court

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. court — of law
  7. track — a path
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. spring — the season
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — of a king
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. court — for sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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