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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: drill · bound · chip · kick · club · fork

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chip — for betting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. club — a group
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. fork — in a road
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — for golf
  18. bound — certain

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