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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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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: suit · club · clip · wave · deal · track · chair · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. club — for dancing
  3. clip — a video
  4. track — to keep track
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. field — a subject
  9. chair — a leader
  10. clip — to cut
  11. club — a group
  12. suit — clothes
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. field — farmland
  15. suit — in cards
  16. club — for golf
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. clip — for paper
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. suit — to fit

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