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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 120 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: ball · row · track · mug · field · firm · arm · cap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mug — a cup
  7. track — a song
  8. cap — a hat
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mug — a face
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. track — a path
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mug — to rob
  24. row — a line

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