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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · racket · rash · content · mate · track · fan · fine

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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 song
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rash — hasty
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. track — a path
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rash — a series
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fine — all right
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — the amount
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fan — a supporter

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