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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: stick · field · mate · ground · racket · capital · track · temple

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — farmland
  5. track — a song
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a city
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a friend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. mate — to breed

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