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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lean — thin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — in football
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bass — low music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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