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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — for sport
  5. last — finally
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bass — low music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. field — a subject
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. last — final
  17. field — farmland
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — to go on
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — the fish
  23. drill — the tool
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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