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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · fork · trunk · degree · file · season · leaves · bat

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fine — all right
  8. file — a tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bat — the animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. file — a document
  22. season — of the year
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fine — a penalty

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