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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · stick · track · mug · jam · wound · clip · club

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. field — for sport
  5. track — a song
  6. clip — to cut
  7. track — a path
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mug — to rob
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. clip — for paper
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. mug — a face
  15. club — for dancing
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. clip — a video
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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