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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bass — low music
  5. field — a subject
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. field — for sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — clever
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pit — in a race
  21. court — for sport
  22. track — a song
  23. pit — a hole
  24. sharp — with an edge

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