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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. land — to come down
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. land — a country
  7. pop — soda
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — to visit
  10. charge — in control
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. land — ground
  17. stock — shares
  18. scale — in music
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  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