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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a match
  4. pitch — completely
  5. field — farmland
  6. mug — to rob
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mug — a face
  9. field — a subject
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. field — for sport
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — to keep track

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