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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 120 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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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 · mark · face · board · race · racket · object · trunk

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. race — the arms race
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — to confront
  5. mark — a grade
  6. board — to get on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. race — a contest
  11. object — to protest
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — a committee
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fork — in a road
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. object — an aim
  24. mark — a trace

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