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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · field · foot · march · firm · nail · trunk · mouse

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. field — farmland
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. field — a subject
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. present — the time now
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. field — for sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. firm — decided
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. march — the month

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