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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: track · sharp · pitcher · field · pound · spell · stock · leaves

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. field — farmland
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. field — for sport
  11. spell — magic
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stock — goods
  17. field — a subject
  18. spell — letters
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — of a tree

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