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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: staff · bowl · trunk · nail · bass · calf · track · stem

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — low music
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. track — a path
  16. bass — the fish
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — to come from
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. nail — on a finger

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