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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: rush · track · content · pop · racket · mouse · bowl · perch

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pop — soda
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — a path
  15. pop — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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