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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: calf · trunk · drill · field · swing · band · rock · ball

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. field — farmland
  6. swing — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rock — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. drill — army training
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. swing — to play on
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. band — a ring
  23. field — a subject
  24. calf — a young 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