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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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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: sharp · track · safe · snap · chest · march · present · field

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a path
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — the time now
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. field — for sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. field — a subject
  12. snap — to click
  13. track — a song
  14. chest — a box
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. field — farmland
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. sharp — clever

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