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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. vault — a safe
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bass — the fish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. branch — a division
  13. bass — low music
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. staff — a stick
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. staff — employees

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