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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: arm · wind · scale · rest · ground · field · suit · track

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — crushed
  5. track — a song
  6. suit — to fit
  7. field — for sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rest — what's left
  10. track — a path
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — size or range
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rest — a break
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ground — the earth
  18. field — a subject
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — in music
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. arm — a part of something

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