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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
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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: stand · fine · net · capital · content · row · track · kick

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — in sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — after costs
  14. fine — high quality
  15. capital — a city
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — all right
  18. kick — in football
  19. capital — money
  20. net — for catching
  21. track — a path
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. track — a song
  24. content — videos and posts

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