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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. track — a path
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — a song
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a document
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — farmland
  20. mark — a trace
  21. field — a subject
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — completely
  24. track — to keep track

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