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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: fork · toast · pop · court · perch · trunk · firm · wound

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. court — for sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — bread
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. firm — decided
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. pop — music
  23. court — of law
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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