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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · nail · perch · trunk · calf · pitch · chest · current

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — happening now
  3. field — for sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. current — electric
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — of water
  11. chest — a box
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pitch — completely
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. calf — a young animal

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