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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. field — a subject
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — for sport
  15. capital — a city
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. field — farmland
  23. mark — a grade
  24. net — after costs

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