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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. swing — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. fork — in a road
  7. net — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. swing — to play on
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — in golf
  16. net — after costs
  17. season — of the year
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — in sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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