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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. craft — boats
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fork — in a road
  11. club — for golf
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. craft — a skill
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. club — for dancing
  24. craft — a handicraft

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