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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · bank · wound · trunk · rule · pit · field

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. field — a subject
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pit — a hole
  6. track — a path
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ball — a dance
  11. track — a song
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. field — for sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. field — farmland
  21. rule — a law
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — for money
  24. wound — an injury

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