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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. scale — in music
  6. field — for sport
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bass — the fish
  10. band — a ring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bass — low music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. trunk — of a tree

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