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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 · object · fork · rule · bank · bat · nail · pitcher

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — government
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. object — a thing
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — an aim
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — 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