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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: squash · wake · court · date · fork · trunk · pit · key

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. key — the most important part
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. court — of a king
  5. date — the fruit
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — in a road
  9. court — for sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. court — of law
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pit — a hole
  24. squash — the sport

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