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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · mine · bark · game · bowl · fork · leaves · trunk

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rock — a stone
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rock — music
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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