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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.

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 · firm · fork · chair · bass · prune · sharp · mug

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fork — in a road
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. mug — a face
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. firm — decided
  17. chair — a leader
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bass — the fish
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. chair — to sit on

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