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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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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. band — a ring
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bound — certain
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — an amount
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. degree — from a university
  19. content — happy
  20. bound — obliged
  21. track — to keep track
  22. band — a music group
  23. track — a song
  24. hide — to keep secret

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