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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: pit · fork · staff · rule · bass · mark · bark · trunk

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rule — a law
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rule — government
  21. staff — employees
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. staff — employees

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