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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
468
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: ground · racket · bay · object · jam · content · track · suit

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. content — happy
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. content — the amount
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ground — the earth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. object — a thing
  11. track — a path
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — a position
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ground — crushed
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. suit — to fit
  18. object — to protest
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — clothes
  22. object — an aim
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a horse colour

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