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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: bank · field · rock · rush · game · hide · track · suit

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — a stone
  5. track — to keep track
  6. field — for sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rock — music
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. field — a subject
  15. track — a path
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. track — a song
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rush — a thrill

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