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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. field — a subject
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. field — for sport
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stock — goods
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a song
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — farmland
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. saw — the tool

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