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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a great time
  4. field — farmland
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. row — a line
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rock — to move gently

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