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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: track · firm · mug · fork · bear · wake · chair · field

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — a path
  3. field — for sport
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wake — a trail
  6. field — farmland
  7. track — a song
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. field — a subject
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mug — a face
  24. firm — decided

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