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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — for sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. craft — boats
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stock — shares
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. court — of a king
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. stem — to come from
  24. coach — a trainer

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