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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: ball · trunk · mouse · shower · roll · bulb · track · calf

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — a path
  7. shower — to wash
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ball — a great time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — a cake
  13. track — to keep track
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. roll — a list
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ball — a dance

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