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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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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: rest · trunk · calf · perch · craft · field · march · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — boats
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — a subject
  12. rest — a break
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — music
  16. march — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. craft — a skill
  19. field — farmland
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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