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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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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: bay · bass · mug · pit · trunk · race · fork · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — in a road
  6. race — humankind
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mate — to breed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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