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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: bank · club · present · fan · row · wake · press · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — of a river
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fork — in a road
  13. press — to push
  14. club — a group
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. club — for golf
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. club — for dancing
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wake — before a funeral

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