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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. club — for golf
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. net — in sport
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fork — in a road
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — a cup
  20. net — after costs
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fan — a supporter

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