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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: mark · hide · drill · bay · fall · cap · field · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. drill — army training
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — the season
  6. drill — the tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. field — farmland
  10. track — a song
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a hat
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a grade

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