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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · fan · degree · current · field · club · track · foot

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — a group
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — for golf
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. foot — a measure
  10. field — farmland
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. field — for sport
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — for dancing
  17. track — a path
  18. degree — temperature
  19. current — electric
  20. field — a subject
  21. track — a song
  22. degree — from a university
  23. current — of water
  24. mark — a grade

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