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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: game · trunk · fork · stick · bear · squash · dip · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. game — a match
  5. suit — to fit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. suit — in cards

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