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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — for sport
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — a grade
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. field — a subject
  11. swing — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mark — a trace
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. court — of a king
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — to keep track
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. track — a song
  22. toast — bread
  23. track — a path
  24. swing — in golf

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