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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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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. track — a song
  10. field — a subject
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — a coil
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — after costs
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spring — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. field — farmland

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