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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: cold · fork · trunk · track · pit · rash · bank · drill

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rash — a series
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — a path
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cold — not warm
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rash — hasty
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cold — the Cold War

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