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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 · trunk · game · board · pop · net · foot · wake

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. board — a committee
  4. net — in sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. game — a match
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. foot — a measure

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