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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 116 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: craft · trunk · swing · spring · race · club · fork · leaves

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. club — a group
  3. race — the arms race
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. craft — boats
  6. club — for golf
  7. spring — of water
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. craft — a skill
  12. fork — in a road
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. race — humankind
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. race — a contest
  19. club — for dancing
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. swing — in golf
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spring — the season
  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