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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. club — for golf
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — in a road
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — help
  17. club — for dancing
  18. staff — a stick

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