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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · row · game · ball · racket · trunk · file · hand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. hand — in cards
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a dance
  8. game — wild animals
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a tool
  13. row — a line
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. file — a document
  16. hand — help
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a great time
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. game — a match
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a round shape

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