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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: fork · chip · mark · fine · club · foot · saw · present

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. club — a group
  4. present — the time now
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. club — for golf
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. present — a gift
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — there
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — for dancing
  24. foot — a measure

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