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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — a series
  10. stock — goods
  11. rash — hasty
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stock — shares
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — the month
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ruler — for measuring

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