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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mate — to breed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mate — a partner
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — a committee
  21. clip — a video
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stock — shares

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