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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. scale — in music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bark — to shout
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fan — a supporter

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