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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · racket · key · stand · content · sharp · track · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — the most important part
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. content — the amount
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. track — a song
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. track — a path
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — to bear
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — in music

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