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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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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: mark · pit · roll · temple · fork · tube · swing · trunk

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. swing — music
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. roll — a cake
  12. swing — to play on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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