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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: mug · track · current · tube · clip · calf · field · foot

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. clip — for paper
  4. track — a song
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mug — a cup
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. tube — the underground
  12. current — of water
  13. clip — a video
  14. mug — a face
  15. current — electric
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. track — a path
  18. tube — a container
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. field — a subject
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — to cut

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