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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 120 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: pit · tube · calf · foot · stock · track · tear · field

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. field — farmland
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pit — in a race
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stock — a soup base

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