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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: jam · court · fan · drill · press · roll · spell · kick

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of a king
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. kick — in football
  6. spell — letters
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. press — newspapers
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. press — a publisher
  11. spell — a short time
  12. court — for sport
  13. roll — a list
  14. drill — the tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. press — to push
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spell — magic
  22. court — of law
  23. drill — a practice
  24. jam — in traffic

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