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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stock — goods
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. drill — a practice
  13. deal — to handle
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — a stick
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — shares
  22. stand — to bear
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — to cool the air

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