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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: club · degree · lean · rock · stick · arm · fan · fork

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lean — thin
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. degree — an amount
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — a stone
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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