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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: fall · bank · shower · fork · board · spell · bound · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — certain
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fall — the season
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. club — a group
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bank — of a river
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — rain
  22. board — a committee
  23. shower — to wash
  24. spell — magic

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