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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.

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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 · bore · nail · spell · staff · trunk · bass · scale

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — the fish
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spell — magic
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — letters
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bore — to tire
  17. field — a subject
  18. bore — to drill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — employees
  21. spell — a short time
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. bore — gave birth

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