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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. row — to paddle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — in golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. row — a line
  19. plane — a tool
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. swing — music
  23. fall — to drop
  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