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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.

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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: game · fan · field · branch · calf · bulb · track · roll

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. roll — a cake
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. track — a song
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — to keep track
  20. roll — a list
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. game — a match
  24. branch — a division

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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