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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. key — the most important part
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. field — for sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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