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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: cap · club · deal · mug · lean · land · stem · fork

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. club — a group
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — for golf
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — a hat
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. land — to come down
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fork — in a road
  20. land — a country
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — ground

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