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

Word bank: ball · track · bat · field · kick · land · fine · last

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. land — a country
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. track — to keep track
  8. land — ground
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. last — final
  11. track — a path
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. last — finally
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. track — a song
  20. ball — a great time
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. last — to go on
  24. bat — for baseball

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