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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
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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: track · wound · field · trunk · mug · temple · sharp · scale

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — clever
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mug — a face
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. track — a song
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. track — to keep track
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — in music
  17. mug — to rob
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a car

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