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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: drill · leaves · cabinet · court · trunk · perch · jam · fork

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — the fish
  5. court — for sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. court — of law
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. court — of a king
  17. drill — a practice
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. drill — army training
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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