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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a song
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — wild animals
  12. plane — a tool
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a match
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rash — hasty
  20. field — farmland
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. rash — a series
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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