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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.

Make a worksheet

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: net · coach · staff · track · game · bore · content · pitcher

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — to keep track
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — a path
  7. bore — to tire
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — happy
  19. game — wild animals
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — to drill
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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