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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: straw · bowl · fork · stem · bound · club · trunk · arm

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. club — for golf
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bound — obliged
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bound — tied together
  18. club — a group
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fork — in a road
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. straw — a straw man

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