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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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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: court · dip · nail · deal · face · fork · swing · march

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. swing — to play on
  9. march — the month
  10. face — part of the head
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. march — music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fork — in a road
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. court — of law
  21. march — the month
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — a big deal
  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