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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: field · bear · pop · trunk · staff · season · scale · mug

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. mug — to rob
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — of the year
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. field — for sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — music
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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