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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · track · board · field · squash · stick · straw · jam

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — for sport
  8. track — a song
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — farmland
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. board — to get on
  19. file — a document
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. track — to keep track
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. field — a subject

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