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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — for sport
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fall — the season
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — in control
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — a subject
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. craft — a skill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. charge — a price
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — farmland

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