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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. court — of law
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for dancing
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fork — in a road
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. court — of a king
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mark — a grade
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. club — a group

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