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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: fork · dip · trunk · toast · chair · club · land · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. land — ground
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — to come down
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. land — a country
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — a group
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. club — for dancing

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