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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.

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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: racket · present · game · swing · face · nail · march · fan

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. present — a gift
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. present — there
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. swing — to play on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. march — music
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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