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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: racket · pass · coach · content · snap · pound · court · leaves

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — of a king
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. court — of law
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. content — the amount
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. snap — to click
  23. court — for sport
  24. pass — to spend time

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