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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: bowl · scale · present · saw · stick · fan · club · fork

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — a gift
  10. club — a group
  11. present — there
  12. club — for golf
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. scale — in music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. present — the time now
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — in a road

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