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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: bear · track · face · content · coach · suit · court · fan

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. suit — clothes
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. court — for sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. content — happy
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. court — of a king
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of law
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — a path

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