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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: track · prune · leaves · kick · foot · rock · field · rash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. track — a path
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rock — music
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rash — hasty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kick — in football
  22. foot — a measure
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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