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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — a hint
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. shower — rain
  15. stock — goods
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — low music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — the fish

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