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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — rain
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — goods
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spell — magic
  17. face — to confront
  18. spell — letters
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. racket — for tennis

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