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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 120 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: ball · plane · pop · field · last · safe · track · nail

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. field — for sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. field — a subject
  6. last — final
  7. pop — soda
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — to visit
  10. last — finally
  11. track — a path
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — farmland
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pop — music
  21. last — to go on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — in geometry

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