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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: fork · wake · kick · foot · mark · bark · field · track

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mark — a grade
  5. track — a path
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — a song
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bark — to shout
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kick — in football
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. field — for sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. field — a subject
  24. kick — a thrill

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