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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 120 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: wake · march · club · season · calf · arm · cabinet · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — for golf
  3. march — music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. march — the month
  7. club — a group
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. season — of the year
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fork — in a road
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wake — a trail
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cabinet — ministers

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