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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · bulb · fork · race · cell · cap

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — humankind
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. race — a contest
  18. bulb — for light

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