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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. field — farmland
  4. net — for catching
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rest — what's left
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — a break
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. staff — a stick
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — for sport
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — a subject
  18. patient — a sick person

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