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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. field — a subject
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. track — to keep track
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. field — farmland
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. track — a path

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