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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: track · date · field · rock · object · rule · season · kid

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — of the year
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. season — in sport
  12. kid — to tease
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — to keep track
  15. field — for sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rule — a law
  18. track — a path
  19. field — farmland
  20. kid — child
  21. rock — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. rule — government
  24. season — to add flavour

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