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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. track — a path
  3. shower — rain
  4. track — a song
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. field — a subject
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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