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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: perch · track · jam · temple · plane · trunk · bass · roll

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — a path
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. track — to keep track
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bass — low music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. track — a song
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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