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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — clever
  3. roll — a cake
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rush — hurry
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. craft — a skill
  23. field — farmland
  24. rush — to hurry

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