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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: arm · mark · staff · cabinet · field · tear · track · foot

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mark — a grade
  3. field — farmland
  4. track — a path
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. staff — a stick
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. field — for sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a trace
  20. foot — a measure
  21. staff — employees
  22. track — a song
  23. tear — from crying
  24. arm — part of the body

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