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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 116 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 · lean · trunk · present · fan · bore · mark · pitch

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bore — to drill
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. present — a gift
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fork — in a road

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