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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.

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: spell · field · track · hide · bound · date · arm · bay

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. field — for sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — tied together
  5. date — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — a path
  9. spell — a short time
  10. field — farmland
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — to keep track
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. spell — letters
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spell — magic
  24. field — a subject

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