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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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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: bass · trunk · scale · tube · fan · bark · cabinet · leaves

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. scale — in music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — the underground
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — low music

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