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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: pop · field · land · stick · kick · track · bat · bear

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pop — music
  4. track — a path
  5. land — to come down
  6. field — farmland
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — a subject
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. pop — soda
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. land — ground
  19. field — for sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — in football

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