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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: snap · track · content · pop · suit · ground · leaves · bowl

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ground — crushed
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. content — happy
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. track — a song
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. track — a path
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ground — a position
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pop — soda
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. suit — to fit

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