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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a ring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — in a race
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cap — a hat
  21. band — a music group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fork — in a road

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