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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: fork · season · ruler · trunk · court · roll · vault · bear

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. roll — a list
  4. court — of a king
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. court — of law
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. fork — in a road
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ruler — a monarch

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