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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spell — letters
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. present — there
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. club — a group
  22. present — the time now
  23. spell — a short time
  24. club — for dancing

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