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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. field — for sport
  3. last — finally
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — farmland
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — to protest
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — an aim
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — final
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. field — a subject
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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