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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — completely
  12. band — a ring
  13. track — a song
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bass — low music
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a music group

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