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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 · mark · squash · net · fork · track · court · toast

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. court — of law
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. court — of a king
  11. track — to keep track
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fork — in a road
  14. toast — bread
  15. net — after costs
  16. squash — to crush
  17. track — a song
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — the sport
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. court — for sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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