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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — a song
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. track — to keep track
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. field — a subject
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. field — for sport
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. field — farmland
  16. mug — a face
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. track — a path

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