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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: dip · chip · spring · fork · rule · club · bear · arm

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. club — for dancing
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. club — a group
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. club — for golf
  19. dip — to sink
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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