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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · pass · kick · fork · date · club

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. club — a group
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — for golf
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fork — in a road

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