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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · fan · snap · tube · squash · club · fork · march

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — a group
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. snap — to click
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tube — a container

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