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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: drill · ground · track · pitch · bark · pass · field · calf

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. field — a subject
  3. drill — the tool
  4. field — farmland
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pass — a permit
  13. track — a song
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. track — a path
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — army training

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