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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ball — a dance
  4. track — a path
  5. fine — high quality
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — shares
  9. cell — in biology
  10. field — farmland
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cell — a phone
  14. track — a song
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — a subject
  19. stock — goods
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. safe — out of danger

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