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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 116 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: bark · file · track · racket · cabinet · spell · field · rush

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — magic
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. file — a tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — hurry
  9. field — for sport
  10. file — a document
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bark — to shout
  13. spell — letters
  14. track — a song
  15. field — a subject
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. field — farmland
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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