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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: net · pitcher · fine · track · land · trunk · field · temple

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. track — a path
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. land — ground
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — for catching
  14. track — to keep track
  15. net — in sport
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — a subject
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — a jug

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