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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · track · fine · pitcher · rash · field · staff · object

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a path
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. staff — a stick
  6. object — to protest
  7. field — a subject
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — a thing
  12. rash — a series
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — farmland
  15. object — an aim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — the season
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. field — for sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — high quality

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