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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 116 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: mug · track · field · rest · march · lean · nail · court

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. court — for sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — a path
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — a face
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. march — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rest — what's left
  15. court — of law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — the month
  18. field — for sport
  19. mug — a cup
  20. track — to keep track
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a song
  23. court — of a king
  24. nail — on a finger

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