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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: key · shower · swing · fan · fork · foot · pitcher · pass

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pass — a permit
  16. foot — a measure
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. foot — the bottom
  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