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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 120 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: trunk · object · band · straw · chip · prune · foot · fork

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — to eat
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — for betting
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fork — a garden tool

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