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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — to rip
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — in a race
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pit — a hole
  19. race — a contest
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — in sport
  22. race — humankind
  23. stock — goods
  24. net — after costs

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