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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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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: prune · chip · club · suit · key · fork · tube · wind

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — in music
  5. tube — a container
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — in cards
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tube — the underground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — the most important part
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. club — for golf
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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