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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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 — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — a trace
  5. last — finally
  6. present — the time now
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — a gift
  13. bore — to drill
  14. last — final
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — there
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mark — a grade
  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