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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: wake · rock · pit · trunk · staff · fork · squash · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. staff — employees
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fork — in a road
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wake — a trail
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rock — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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