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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a path
  8. field — a subject
  9. track — to keep track
  10. field — for sport
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. field — farmland
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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