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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: field · dip · rash · stick · branch · kid · rest · track

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. field — a subject
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — a break
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. field — farmland
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. track — a path
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — a series
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — child

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