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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · wound · bass · track · prune · dip · field · fan

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. field — a subject
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bass — low music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. field — for sport
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. field — farmland
  22. prune — to trim
  23. dip — to sink
  24. track — a song

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