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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mark — a trace
  3. squash — to crush
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. swing — in golf
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. field — a subject
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. track — a path
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. field — for sport
  14. track — a song
  15. mark — a grade
  16. swing — music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. squash — the sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — farmland
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — the vegetable

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