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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 · field · calf · net · arm · ruler · toast · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. field — for sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. toast — bread
  6. field — farmland
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. net — in sport
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. field — a subject
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. march — the month
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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