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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.

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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: bound · kick · ground · content · dip · leaves · stick · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. content — the amount
  3. kick — in football
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bound — certain
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bound — obliged
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. dip — to sink
  22. content — happy
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — crushed

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