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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. field — a subject
  2. bass — the fish
  3. march — music
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a line of people
  8. key — in music
  9. file — a document
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. file — a tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. key — the most important part
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of a car
  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