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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: fall · date · field · perch · track · mark · stock · patient

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. stock — goods
  3. field — for sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — farmland
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fall — to drop
  10. date — the fruit
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fall — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. track — a song
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stock — shares
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. field — a subject
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fall — to drop
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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