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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. field — for sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — farmland
  11. staff — employees
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — the underground
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — for catching
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — in sport
  24. staff — a stick

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