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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.

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 · field · scale · game · ruler · bound · kick · squash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. field — a subject
  5. squash — the sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. game — a match
  8. track — to keep track
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. field — for sport
  13. kick — in football
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — a song
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — wild animals
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — to crush

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