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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. band — a music group
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. field — for sport
  6. bark — to shout
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — a subject
  10. mug — to rob
  11. band — a ring
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. field — farmland
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mug — a face
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stand — for spectators
  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