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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 116 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: field · track · saw · trunk · band · bulb · fine · prune

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — to keep track
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. field — a subject
  8. band — a music group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — all right
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — high quality
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. band — a ring
  24. track — a path

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