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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: object · rest · straw · fork · club · chip · bank · ground

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bank — of a river
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — a group
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — for golf
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — a position
  19. club — for dancing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — to protest
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fork — a garden tool

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