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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. land — ground
  9. track — to keep track
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — a song
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fork — in a road
  19. branch — a division
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. object — a thing
  22. stock — goods
  23. track — a path
  24. land — a country

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