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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — a subject
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a document
  7. firm — steady
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a tool
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. firm — decided
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — a company
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. field — farmland
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — the amount

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