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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — a division
  8. object — an aim
  9. field — farmland
  10. spell — letters
  11. object — a thing
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spell — magic
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bat — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mug — a cup

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