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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. net — in sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — after costs
  17. stock — shares
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stock — goods
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fan — a supporter

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