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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: pop · fork · club · jam · bore · foot · arm · cabinet

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — to tire
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. club — for golf
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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