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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · club · fan · tube · shower · court · fork · pop

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. court — for sport
  3. shower — rain
  4. pop — to visit
  5. club — a group
  6. fork — in a road
  7. court — of a king
  8. club — for golf
  9. tube — a container
  10. pop — music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. court — of law
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — soda
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — to wash
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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