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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: kid · arm · track · staff · mug · field · bowl · pop

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mug — a cup
  4. field — for sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — a song
  7. pop — soda
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pop — music
  15. kid — child
  16. staff — a stick
  17. field — a subject
  18. track — a path
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. field — farmland
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pop — to visit
  24. kid — to tease

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