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

Word bank: club · fork · kid · bank · board · cabinet

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kid — child
  3. club — a group
  4. bank — for money
  5. board — to get on
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. board — a committee
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bank — of a river
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — for dancing
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for golf

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