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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. object — an aim
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bark — to shout
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — a thing
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stock — goods
  15. court — of a king
  16. game — a match
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. game — wild animals
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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