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

Word bank: mouse · race · fork · swing · press · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. swing — in golf
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — to push
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. press — a publisher
  11. swing — music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. swing — to play on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car

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