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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. field — for sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — in control
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitch — completely
  7. track — a path
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. board — to get on
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. track — a song
  18. charge — electricity
  19. field — a subject
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — a price
  22. field — farmland
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. safe — out of danger

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