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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: trunk · prune · sharp · rock · bay · pop · field · chair

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. field — farmland
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. field — a subject
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rock — a stone
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. field — for sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chair — a professorship

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