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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ball · nail · hand · march · chair · bat · fan · can

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. march — the month
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. march — the month
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — music
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. can — to be able to
  24. nail — for a hammer

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