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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spring — a coil
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — a measure
  9. track — a song
  10. field — a subject
  11. land — a country
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — to fit
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. track — to keep track
  18. 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