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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: can · game · board · fork · trunk · file · bore · fan

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — a match
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a document
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. board — a committee
  21. file — a tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bore — to drill

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