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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · trunk · mine · bowl · squash · mark

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mine — for digging
  9. squash — to crush
  10. field — a subject
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. field — farmland
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. squash — the sport

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