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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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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: rash · track · pass · bank · kid · snap · racket · pitch

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rash — a series
  4. track — a song
  5. pitch — completely
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pass — a permit
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — hasty
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. track — a path
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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