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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: fine · club · fork · wind · bank · mine · present · field

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fork — in a road
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — all right
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. field — for sport
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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