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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 120 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: rock · mark · mouse · tube · staff · file · field · trunk

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rock — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. field — for sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. tube — a container
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. file — a tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mouse — the animal

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