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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fork — in a road
  8. race — a contest
  9. mug — to rob
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — a face
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. net — for catching
  16. track — a path
  17. net — after costs
  18. track — a song
  19. march — the month
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — in sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. march — the month
  24. track — to keep track

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