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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stand — to bear
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — a subject
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. field — farmland
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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