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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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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: cue · fork · craft · field · face · mug · trunk · bear

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fork — in a road
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — a hint
  6. face — to point toward
  7. field — farmland
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. field — a subject
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cue — a signal
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mug — to rob

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