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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. track — a path
  3. field — a subject
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. band — a music group
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — farmland
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — high quality
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fork — in a road
  19. charge — a price
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — all right
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — a penalty

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