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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 120 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
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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: swing · bowl · drill · track · game · racket · leaves · scale

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — to play on
  7. scale — in music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. scale — size or range
  12. swing — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — lets stay

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