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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · mouse · calf · rule · rock · trunk · pop · field

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. field — a subject
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. field — farmland
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. field — for sport
  11. game — a match
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — government
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the 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