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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: bass · bulb · perch · fork · trunk · chair · foot · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. 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. hide — to keep secret
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. 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