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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. season — of the year
  3. track — to keep track
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. squash — to crush
  7. charge — in control
  8. field — for sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. charge — electricity
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. kick — in football
  14. bank — of a river
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. charge — a price
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bank — for money
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. season — in sport

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