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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — for catching
  4. bound — certain
  5. pit — in a race
  6. net — after costs
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fork — in a road
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stock — shares
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — in sport

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