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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stock — shares
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. land — to come down
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — ground
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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