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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: track · stem · face · racket · mine · ball · mouse · squash

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — a path
  6. face — to point toward
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — for digging
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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