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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: fork · tube · lash · content · wound · coach · ground · club

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — in a road
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — a group
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. club — for golf
  16. tube — a container
  17. content — the amount
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. content — happy

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