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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cap — a hat
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cap — of ice
  13. track — a song
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mark — a trace
  20. field — farmland
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cap — a lid

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