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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · safe · pitcher · can · race · trunk · shower · court

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. race — humankind
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. shower — to wash
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fork — in a road
  24. can — a tin

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