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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: date · coach · pop · march · bank · fan · nail · kick

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — in football
  4. march — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pop — to visit
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pop — soda
  15. date — the fruit
  16. march — the month
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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