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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: jam · pound · track · nail · stick · lash · bark · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bark — to shout
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — a song
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — a subject
  24. track — a path

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