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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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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: cap · present · row · bowl · club · object · fork · roll

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. roll — a list
  3. present — a gift
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. row — to paddle
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. present — there
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cap — of ice
  14. object — an aim
  15. cap — a lid
  16. present — the time now
  17. row — a line
  18. club — a group
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cap — a hat

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