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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: club · chip · wave · net · date · rule · fork · spell

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — after costs
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. club — for golf
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. spell — letters
  23. date — the fruit
  24. chip — for betting

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