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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: fork · present · pit · game · pitcher · trunk · toast · board

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — a gift
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — bread
  11. fork — in a road
  12. board — to get on
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — there
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a committee
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. game — a match
  24. trunk — of a car

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