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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. row — to paddle
  3. toast — bread
  4. stock — goods
  5. row — a line
  6. fine — all right
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. land — ground
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. land — a country
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. land — to come down
  22. stock — shares
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stock — a soup base

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