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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: trunk · bay · staff · track · rest · field · present · bowl

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — a path
  9. field — farmland
  10. track — a song
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. present — there
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. field — a subject
  22. staff — employees
  23. field — for sport
  24. rest — what's left

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