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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — a subject
  6. fine — all right
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — for sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. field — farmland
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. track — a path
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. track — a song
  23. pop — soda
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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