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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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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: kid · mark · wake · track · safe · content · court · drill

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — a trail
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — the amount
  7. drill — a practice
  8. court — of law
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. kid — to tease
  11. track — a path
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. content — happy
  14. mark — a trace
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. court — of a king
  20. kid — child
  21. drill — army training
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. track — to keep track
  24. court — for sport

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