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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: suit · rock · content · field · game · trunk · bulb · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. field — a subject
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — a stone
  7. suit — clothes
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rock — music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. field — farmland
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. game — a match
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — for sport
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rock — to move gently

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