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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — hasty
  3. capital — money
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — to fit
  7. capital — a city
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. track — to keep track
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. track — a path
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rash — a series
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rash — on the skin
  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