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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. foot — a measure
  12. stock — shares
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. land — a country
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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