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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · foot · trunk · bay · bat · track · jam · file

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. present — there
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. track — a path
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. file — a document
  11. present — the time now
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bat — the animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. present — a gift

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