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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: leaves · field · object · pitch · wake · spell · track · race

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. race — the arms race
  3. track — a path
  4. race — humankind
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. field — for sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — magic
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. race — a contest
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. object — a thing
  16. field — farmland
  17. object — to protest
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. field — a subject
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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