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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — goods
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. can — a tin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. present — there
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stock — shares
  21. shower — to wash
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. branch — of a bank

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