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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 · fork · safe · object · cold · chip · court · suit

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. court — of a king
  3. club — a group
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — a thing
  6. court — of law
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. suit — in cards
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — to protest
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — to fit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — an aim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. suit — clothes
  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