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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: foot · bear · march · bank · stick · field · track · chest

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — farmland
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. march — the month
  19. field — a subject
  20. march — the month
  21. track — a path
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — to keep track
  24. field — for 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