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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.

Words on the sheet
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: march · plane · staff · fork · can · fan · kick · pitcher

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kick — in football
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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