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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: toast · fork · trunk · kick · field · club · ball · suit

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. suit — to fit
  4. kick — in football
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. club — for dancing
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. club — a group
  12. suit — clothes
  13. field — farmland
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. club — for golf
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. toast — bread
  23. suit — in cards
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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