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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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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: mate · track · foot · swing · field · face · snap · perch

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. face — part of the head
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a song
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — farmland
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. field — a subject
  11. swing — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mate — a friend
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. track — a path
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — to confront
  20. perch — the fish
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — to breed

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