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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. spell — magic
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stock — goods
  14. rock — music
  15. stock — shares
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — a stone

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