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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. net — after costs
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. net — for catching
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. net — in sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — an eyelash

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