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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 120 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: track · court · content · mark · cabinet · rash · can · pass

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. court — for sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — a permit
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — happy
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — of a king
  20. track — a song
  21. court — of law
  22. content — the amount
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rash — a series

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