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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: content · mark · pound · track · bound · kid · mouse · racket

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. content — happy
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. content — the amount
  11. track — a song
  12. kid — child
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pound — for dogs

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