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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: rock · cue · march · kick · shower · fork · fan · jam

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — in a road
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — a signal
  17. march — music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. march — the month
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. shower — to wash
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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