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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: bore · cue · key · fork · field · rash · trunk · arm

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. key — for a lock
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. field — farmland
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — for sport
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. field — a subject
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — for pool
  14. rash — a series
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a hint
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rash — hasty

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