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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · plane · pop · chip · pitcher · mine · club · kick

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. club — a group
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kick — in football
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for dancing
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pop — soda
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — to eat

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