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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. field — farmland
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mark — a trace
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — clothes
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. suit — in cards
  15. field — for sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  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