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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rash — a series
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stock — shares
  10. key — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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