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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. row — a line
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. field — a subject
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bank — of a river
  14. net — for catching
  15. row — to paddle
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — farmland
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. row — a quarrel

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