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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. field — a subject
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. field — for sport
  6. fine — all right
  7. track — a song
  8. field — farmland
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pass — a permit
  24. calf — a young animal

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