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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. field — farmland
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. suit — clothes
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — to fit
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — all right
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — the sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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