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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.

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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: field · cue · tear · track · safe · ruler · cap · hand

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — help
  3. cap — a hat
  4. track — to keep track
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — for pool
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — of ice
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. field — for sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cap — a lid

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