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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: bore · prune · trunk · firm · fork · track · face · club

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. firm — a company
  3. fork — in a road
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. face — to confront
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — decided
  10. track — a path
  11. firm — steady
  12. face — to point toward
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — part of the head
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. track — a song
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — a garden tool

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