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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: fan · staff · jam · march · face · fall · kick · racket

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. march — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. march — the month
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kick — in football
  12. march — the month
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. face — to confront
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fall — the season

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