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

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. track — a path
  4. field — farmland
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. race — humankind
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. track — a song
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mug — a cup
  15. race — the arms race
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mug — to rob
  20. race — a contest
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — to keep track
  24. field — a subject

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