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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: tear · present · kick · root · can · court · fan · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — the cause
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. march — music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. court — of law
  11. present — a gift
  12. court — for sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. court — of a king
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. can — a tin
  17. root — of a word
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. can — to be able to
  22. present — there
  23. march — the month
  24. root — of a plant

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