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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: club · fall · fork · bark · bulb · bank · deal · coach

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bank — of a river
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fall — the season
  19. fork — in a road
  20. club — a group
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — to handle

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