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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: rest · tear · field · track · present · arm · ball · bay

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — a gift
  6. field — farmland
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — to keep track
  10. present — the time now
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rest — a break
  13. present — there
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. field — a subject
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. field — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a great time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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