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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: bulb · bass · cabinet · bore · pitcher · trunk · perch · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bass — the fish
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — farmland
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. field — for 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