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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. net — in sport
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pass — a permit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — a path
  15. net — for catching
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — a phone
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. cell — in biology
  24. current — of water

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