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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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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: present · suit · game · field · content · bulb · racket · track

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — there
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. track — a path
  6. field — a subject
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. field — farmland
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — to keep track
  11. field — for sport
  12. present — a gift
  13. suit — in cards
  14. content — happy
  15. suit — clothes
  16. content — the amount
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — wild animals
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — a match
  22. bulb — for light
  23. suit — to fit
  24. track — a song

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