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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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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pass — to succeed

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