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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
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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: board · pitcher · field · bass · key · wake · spell · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. key — in music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bass — low music
  6. field — for sport
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a committee
  12. field — a subject
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spell — magic
  16. track — a song
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — letters
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. key — for a lock
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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