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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: bay · coach · content · bark · kick · foot · track · pass

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — in football
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. content — happy
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. content — the amount
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — to shout
  24. foot — a measure

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