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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: club · jam · suit · march · chip · fork · tube · bear

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. march — the month
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. march — the month
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chip — for betting
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tube — a container
  24. fork — to eat with

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