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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: bark · cap · safe · fork · mine · trunk · perch · cue

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — a signal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cap — a lid

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