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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: club · kick · track · row · foot · tube · field · prune

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. field — for sport
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — a subject
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — for dancing
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. row — a line
  12. track — to keep track
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — a measure
  15. field — farmland
  16. kick — in football
  17. track — a path
  18. tube — the underground
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — a group

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