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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bank · lean · fork · firm · coach · swing · pitcher

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — steady
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lean — thin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. firm — a company
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — music

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