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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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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 · bass · object · dip · fan · race · craft · fork

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. club — a group
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. craft — boats
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — for golf
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — low music
  20. race — a contest
  21. object — a thing
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. race — the arms race
  24. object — an aim

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