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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: foot · march · pass · trunk · fork · swing · hide · rash

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. swing — in golf
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — a series
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. swing — music
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

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