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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. track — a path
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rash — a series
  11. squash — to crush
  12. object — a thing
  13. rash — hasty
  14. object — to protest
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. field — a subject
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — to be able to

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