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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: club · fork · kid · bank · board · cabinet · perch · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. band — a ring
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kid — to tease
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — for golf
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — to get on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kid — child
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. club — a group
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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