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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. file — a tool
  3. field — for sport
  4. spell — letters
  5. file — a line of people
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. object — a thing
  8. file — a document
  9. spell — a short time
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — magic
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. object — to protest
  23. staff — employees
  24. fork — to eat with

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