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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: track · fan · bat · prune · bowl · nail · charge · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. field — a subject
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — to keep track
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — a price
  15. field — for sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a path
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. charge — electricity
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. field — farmland
  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