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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. march — music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — to handle
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — a price
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — electricity
  11. field — for sport
  12. march — the month
  13. track — to keep track
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. track — a song
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kick — in football
  22. march — the month
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. charge — in control

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