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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: pit · fork · press · file · trunk · current · arm · game

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. press — newspapers
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a document
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. file — a tool
  16. current — electric
  17. press — to push
  18. current — of water
  19. file — a line of people
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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