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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: nail · pass · field · cabinet · mug · mark · can · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — farmland
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — a subject
  10. can — to be able to
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — a face
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. track — a path
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pass — to succeed

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