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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: can · net · field · nail · lash · track · mark · dip

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. dip — to sink
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — a tin
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — a song
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a path
  12. field — for sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — in sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — to keep track
  24. net — after costs

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