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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: key · deal · trunk · can · fork · bowl · bark · staff

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. staff — a stick
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fork — in a road
  24. deal — to handle

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