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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — a path
  4. field — farmland
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — a subject
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — to keep track
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — a line
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. track — a song

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