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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — the underground
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — a subject
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tube — a container
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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