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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.

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: land · track · stick · wound · craft · bulb · field · bank

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — an injury
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bank — of a river
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. land — a country
  9. field — for sport
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. field — farmland
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — boats
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — a subject
  24. wound — an injury

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