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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: bay · trunk · field · stock · fork · club · lie · fall

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. field — farmland
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — the season
  9. field — for sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. club — a group
  15. fall — to drop
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — shares
  22. club — for golf
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a car

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