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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — part of the head
  3. field — a subject
  4. face — to confront
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — a path
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. face — to point toward
  13. field — farmland
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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