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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: key · bear · object · fork · game · bat · trunk · mate

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. object — to protest
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. object — an aim
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. key — in music
  19. game — a match
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — the animal

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