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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 116 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: mouse · last · bay · track · safe · squash · bark · field

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. field — for sport
  12. track — a song
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a path
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — to go on
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. track — to keep track
  23. field — farmland
  24. bark — to shout

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