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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. track — to keep track
  5. field — farmland
  6. firm — steady
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. field — for sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — a grade
  12. firm — decided
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. firm — a company
  15. track — a song
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bore — to drill
  19. track — a path
  20. current — electric
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. field — a subject
  24. trunk — of a car

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