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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: rock · suit · pitcher · track · land · mark · field · rule

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — a law
  3. land — a country
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — to come down
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — a path
  10. mark — a trace
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rock — music
  13. land — ground
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. track — a song
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rule — government
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — to rule out
  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