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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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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: stick · can · plane · trunk · scale · perch · track · game

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. track — a song
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. perch — the fish
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a path
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — a tool

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