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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: racket · face · hand · stand · cue · content · track · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. track — a song
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. content — happy
  7. face — part of the head
  8. content — the amount
  9. club — for dancing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hand — help
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. club — a group
  19. cue — a signal
  20. stand — to bear
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. track — a path

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