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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: track · ground · mark · ball · field · bulb · rush · saw

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. track — a path
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. field — for sport
  12. track — a song
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — hurry
  17. field — a subject
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rush — a thrill

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