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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. suit — in cards
  4. field — a subject
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. track — a path
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. track — a song
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — the season
  14. field — farmland
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mate — a friend

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