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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. firm — a company
  5. field — a subject
  6. track — a path
  7. pitch — completely
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — decided
  24. rest — what's left

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