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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — music
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — goods
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. object — to protest
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stock — shares
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. land — to come down
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. object — an aim

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