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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. net — for catching
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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