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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. firm — decided
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — a position
  15. craft — boats
  16. firm — steady
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — thin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ground — the earth

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