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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — a subject
  5. track — a song
  6. mark — a trace
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. field — farmland
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — a grade
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. game — a match
  24. cell — in a prison

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