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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 124 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pit — in a race
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. track — a song
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. game — wild animals
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. club — a group
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. game — a match
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. branch — a division
  19. pit — a hole
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fork — in a road
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a path
  24. club — for dancing

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