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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 120 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 · field · object · net · rash · bulb · chair · arm

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rash — hasty
  3. object — to protest
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. track — a song
  6. net — for catching
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a path
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. track — to keep track
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. object — a thing
  16. net — after costs
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — an aim
  19. field — farmland
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rash — a series
  22. field — a subject
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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