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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bowl · wax · pit · track · race · racket · deal

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — happy
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — to handle
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. track — a song
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. content — the amount
  16. track — to keep track
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pit — a hole

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