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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: club · tube · can · fork · chair · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. tube — a container
  6. club — for golf
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. club — a group
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with

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