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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 120 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: cue · lean · track · field · file · perch · kick · march

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. file — a line of people
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. file — a tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. track — a song
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. field — farmland
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. track — a path
  24. file — a document

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