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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: fan · present · leaves · game · mark · track · field · mug

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. field — farmland
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. present — there
  14. mug — a face
  15. present — the time now
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mark — a trace
  21. field — for sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. present — a gift
  24. leaves — lets stay

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