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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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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: field · saw · mouse · swing · net · can · cap · ball

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cap — a lid
  9. field — farmland
  10. net — after costs
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. swing — music
  21. field — a subject
  22. cap — of ice
  23. net — for catching
  24. can — to be able to

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