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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: band · wave · track · field · bound · suit · content · racket

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. track — a song
  3. content — happy
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — a subject
  7. track — a path
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a music group
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. field — farmland
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — the amount
  17. band — a ring
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. field — for sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — certain

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