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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: mouse · field · suit · plane · track · pop · wound · pit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. pit — in a race
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — a hole
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. track — a path
  12. pop — to visit
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pop — soda
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. pop — music

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