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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: field · fine · pop · trunk · can · rock · race · arm

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. field — for sport
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fine — all right
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rock — music
  24. arm — part of the body

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