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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: club · tube · fork · stand · fan · craft · hand · kick

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — a container
  3. fork — in a road
  4. craft — a skill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. club — for golf
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stand — to bear
  19. craft — boats
  20. hand — help
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. tube — the underground

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