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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: foot · bay · track · chip · jam · court · racket · band

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. court — of law
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. track — a path
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chip — for betting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. court — of a king
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. foot — a measure
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. band — a music group
  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