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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — for digging
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. prune — to trim
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. pitch — completely
  19. club — for golf
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wake — a trail
  23. track — a path
  24. field — farmland

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