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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 116 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: stand · wound · firm · track · scale · trunk · rash · field

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rash — a series
  8. stand — to bear
  9. field — for sport
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — in music
  12. track — a path
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — farmland
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. track — a song
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rash — hasty
  22. field — a subject
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. firm — steady

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