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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: trunk · bulb · field · mark · land · mine · bore · vault

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mine — for digging
  3. land — ground
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. land — a country
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. vault — a safe
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mark — a trace
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. land — to come down

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