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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: roll · ground · chip · field · track · stick · ball · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a great time
  4. roll — a cake
  5. track — a song
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — for betting
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a list
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ground — crushed
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — to keep track
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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