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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — a subject
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — to confront
  9. scale — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — farmland
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — size or range
  23. face — to point toward
  24. field — for sport

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