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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a grade
  9. field — for sport
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fine — all right
  18. track — a song
  19. field — farmland
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — to pay attention

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