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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: prune · club · pitcher · fork · game · bank · fine · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fine — all right
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — a group
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for golf

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