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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. degree — temperature
  3. court — of law
  4. field — for sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. date — the fruit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. court — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. court — of a king
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. track — a path
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — to keep track
  24. saw — the tool

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