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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — for golf
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — a path
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. track — a song
  16. field — farmland
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rash — a series
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — clothes

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