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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: rest · track · spell · cabinet · field · net · pass · lie

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a song
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. field — for sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. track — a path
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rest — a break

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