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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.

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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: calf · track · bank · fan · nail · fine · stick · field

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. track — a song
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. track — a path
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bank — of a river
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. field — a subject

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