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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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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: chip · saw · fork · club · season · vault

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. season — of the year
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. club — for golf
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — to eat
  18. season — in sport

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