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

Word bank: mate · trunk · current · arm · squash · bay · bark · fork

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mate — a friend
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. current — of water
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mate — a partner
  20. current — happening now
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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