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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fine — high quality
  5. object — to protest
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. object — a thing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fine — all right
  15. object — an aim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. dip — to dunk

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