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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: roll · leaves · prune · bore · field · calf · club · track

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. track — a path
  3. roll — a cake
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. club — a group
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. club — for golf
  8. field — farmland
  9. prune — to trim
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. roll — a list
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — a subject

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