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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. field — a subject
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tube — a container
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. swing — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — farmland
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — the underground
  23. field — for sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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