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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 116 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: fork · court · march · racket · rush · spring · dip · trunk

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. court — for sport
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fork — in a road
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. march — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. spring — a coil
  20. court — of law
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — hurry

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