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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. game — a match
  3. court — of a king
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. field — farmland
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — for sport
  16. track — a path
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — a song
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. court — of law

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