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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: cell · track · bark · mug · field · rash · suit · snap

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. track — a song
  3. rash — a series
  4. snap — to click
  5. track — to keep track
  6. field — a subject
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cell — in biology
  13. field — for sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. field — farmland
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. suit — to fit
  22. track — a path
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — in cards

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