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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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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. board — a committee
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — for sport
  10. scale — in music
  11. board — to get on
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — part of the head
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — a subject
  18. bulb — for light

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