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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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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: field · track · wind · chip · pit · safe · bound · racket

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. chip — for betting
  3. wind — moving air
  4. field — farmland
  5. track — a path
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bound — certain
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bound — obliged
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — for sport

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