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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.

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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: face · bound · pitch · bass · content · root · track · pop

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. bass — low music
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. track — a song
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — music
  13. content — the amount
  14. bass — the fish
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pitch — completely
  18. content — happy
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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