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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · date · march · squash · season · ball · calf · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. march — music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a great time
  17. squash — the sport
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — a gift
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — a supporter

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