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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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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 · kick · field · branch · wind · bore · bass · cue

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kick — in football
  4. foot — a measure
  5. branch — a division
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — low music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. kick — a thrill

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