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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. field — for sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. foot — a measure
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. field — farmland
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — music
  16. bass — low music
  17. pop — soda
  18. field — a subject
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fan — a supporter

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