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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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468
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: calf · bank · bass · racket · chair · face · suit · march

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — to fit
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chair — a leader
  9. suit — clothes
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — for money
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bank — of a river
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. march — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — to sit on

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