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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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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: chair · content · arm · suit · trunk · tear · fork · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fork — in a road
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chair — a leader
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. content — happy
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. suit — clothes
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tear — to rip
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. suit — in cards

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