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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 120 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: track · content · pitcher · swing · rash · tube · mate · racket

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. content — happy
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — a partner
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — the amount
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. track — a path
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mate — a friend
  22. swing — to play on
  23. tube — a container
  24. content — videos and posts

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