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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: field · tube · mug · kick · stand · track · lash · fine

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — high quality
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — a song
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mug — a face
  13. tube — a container
  14. mug — a cup
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — all right

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