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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 116 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: fork · fine · trunk · bass · rule · content · pit · shower

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rule — government
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pit — a hole
  7. shower — to wash
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bass — the fish
  10. fork — in a road
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. fine — all right
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. content — happy
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — rain
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — in a race

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