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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.

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: foot · mouse · pit · field · mine · patient · prune · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. field — for sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — a hole
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a song
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. foot — a measure
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mouse — the animal

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