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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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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: jam · track · bound · cue · club · kick · field · bass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. club — a group
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. track — a song
  15. field — farmland
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — for dancing
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. club — for golf
  20. track — a path
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bound — tied together

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