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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 · row · pop · mine · field · track · club · bay

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pop — soda
  4. mark — a grade
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — a path
  8. club — for golf
  9. track — a song
  10. pop — to visit
  11. field — for sport
  12. mark — a trace
  13. row — a line
  14. field — a subject
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. row — to paddle
  20. club — a group
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. club — for dancing
  24. field — farmland

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