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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 · last · rock · pass · pop · file · field · leaves

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. file — a tool
  6. track — a path
  7. last — finally
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. file — a line of people
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — a stone
  12. field — a subject
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. file — a document
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. track — a song
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. field — for sport

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