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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: bulb · ground · wound · foot · trunk · bowl · object · coach

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — a thing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wound — an injury
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. foot — a measure
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. coach — a trainer

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