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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.

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 · racket · tube · content · pound · bass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bass — the fish
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — the amount
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tube — a container
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. bass — the instrument

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