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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fork — in a road
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. roll — a list
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — in football
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. date — the fruit
  19. roll — a cake
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pop — music

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