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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: rock · fine · trunk · mark · land · race · fork · safe

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. race — a contest
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mark — a grade
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. land — a country
  15. fine — all right
  16. rock — music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. land — ground
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mark — a trace
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rock — to move gently

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