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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: firm · fall · dip · pop · field · trunk · track · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — soda
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. track — a song
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pop — music
  16. track — a path
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fall — the season
  20. track — to keep track
  21. firm — a company
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. firm — steady
  24. pop — to visit

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