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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. can — to be able to
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. spring — the season
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spring — of water
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a leader
  24. squash — the vegetable

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