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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
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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: squash · present · track · spell · bound · tube · mug · field

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — to keep track
  7. present — a gift
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — a container
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spell — a short time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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