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

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — a leader
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cue — for pool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — of a river
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. drill — army training
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. march — the month
  24. racket — for tennis

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