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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
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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: track · mouse · pitcher · ball · fan · land · row · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — a country
  10. ball — a great time
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — for a lock
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. row — a quarrel

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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