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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. plane — a tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — in music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stock — goods
  17. wind — moving air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. drill — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. plane — in geometry

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