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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: coach · nail · trunk · kick · current · date · fork · vault

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. date — the fruit
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — of water
  13. vault — a safe
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kick — in football
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — to eat with

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