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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. track — a song
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a path
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. field — a subject
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. bank — of a river
  19. track — to keep track
  20. field — farmland
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. branch — of a tree

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