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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: trunk · bore · pass · fork · cue · mug · bound · game

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. game — a match
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bound — tied together
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mug — a face
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fork — in a road
  24. game — wild animals

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