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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. field — farmland
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. content — happy
  9. bank — for money
  10. track — a path
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — the amount
  19. track — a song
  20. field — a subject
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — to keep track
  24. calf — a young animal

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