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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. band — a ring
  3. can — a tin
  4. field — for sport
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. field — a subject
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. current — happening now
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. can — a tin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. snap — to click
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. current — electric
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — the animal

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