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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — final
  8. hand — help
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. content — the amount
  11. stock — goods
  12. last — finally
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rock — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stock — shares
  21. rock — a stone
  22. content — happy
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hand — in cards

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