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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.

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: track · drill · content · object · lean · cap · racket · suit

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. object — to protest
  3. content — happy
  4. cap — a lid
  5. object — an aim
  6. cap — a hat
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. object — a thing
  10. cap — of ice
  11. track — to keep track
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — a path
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. content — the amount
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — thin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. suit — to fit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. track — a song
  24. drill — a practice

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