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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: game · field · lash · court · patient · track · scale · bank

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. scale — in music
  3. court — for sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. field — farmland
  9. track — a path
  10. game — a match
  11. scale — size or range
  12. track — a song
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. game — wild animals
  15. track — to keep track
  16. field — a subject
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — of a king

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