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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: suit · trunk · bank · bat · fork · pitch · leaves · degree

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fork — in a road
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bank — for money
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — of a river
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — in an idiom

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