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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. can — to be able to
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. field — a subject
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. field — for sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. can — a tin
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. mate — a partner

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