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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: fan · lean · date · swing · face · suit · fork · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to confront
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. swing — music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. suit — clothes
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. suit — in cards
  18. swing — to play on
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — to fit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lean — to rest against

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