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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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 flat piece
  3. march — music
  4. root — the cause
  5. board — to get on
  6. field — a subject
  7. march — the month
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a song
  11. root — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. track — a path
  15. field — for sport
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. root — of a word
  18. board — a committee
  19. pop — music
  20. field — farmland
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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