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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: roll · trunk · ball · press · nail · safe · perch · field

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. roll — a list
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — a subject
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. roll — a cake
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a great time
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. nail — for a hammer

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