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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 116 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: craft · mine · file · dip · club · tear · fork · mouse

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. file — a document
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. club — a group
  19. tear — to rip
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — for golf
  24. tear — from crying

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