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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fork — in a road
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lean — to bend
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — in a race
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. lean — thin
  16. club — for golf
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — on your feet
  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