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

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — a song
  12. field — a subject
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — to keep track

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