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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: field · track · ball · stem · rock · mug · mate · net

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. field — a subject
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mug — to rob
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. net — after costs
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — farmland
  11. mug — a face
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. field — for sport
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mate — a friend
  20. net — in sport
  21. track — a song
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ball — a great time

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