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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: pound · current · hand · dip · pass · field · calf · track

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. field — a subject
  3. current — electric
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — a path
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a song
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. field — for sport

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