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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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468
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: fan · file · club · object · mate · bulb · band · fork

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — in a road
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. band — a ring
  11. object — an aim
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a music group
  15. mate — to breed
  16. club — a group
  17. object — to protest
  18. club — for golf
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a rubber band

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