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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. track — a path
  6. key — in music
  7. firm — a company
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a song
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — a grade
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — steady
  22. rush — hurry
  23. field — a subject
  24. safe — a strongbox

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