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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: dip · pop · racket · kid · net · track · rock · lean

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — child
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. pop — soda
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. net — in sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pop — music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — a song
  24. racket — for tennis

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