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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: ball · ground · track · board · fall · trunk · saw · patient

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — crushed
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — a path
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ball — a dance
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a committee
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ground — a position
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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