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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: bank · coach · trunk · root · lie · track · field · game

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. track — a song
  8. root — the cause
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. field — a subject
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. root — of a plant
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — of a word
  24. bank — for money

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