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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 120 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: fork · club · saw · bound · key · stand · swing · shower

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. key — in music
  8. club — a group
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. swing — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. swing — to play on
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — to bear
  17. shower — rain
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. swing — in golf
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — the tool
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. key — for a lock

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