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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — to visit
  6. field — for sport
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a path
  22. bank — for money
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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