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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: bowl · plane · stick · trunk · bore · vault · field · bass

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. field — for sport
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. field — farmland
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. field — a subject
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — low music

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