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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: file · mark · fork · swing · trunk · club · dip · can

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. club — for golf
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. swing — to play on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. file — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. file — a line of people
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a document
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fork — in a road
  19. swing — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. can — to be able to
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. can — a tin

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