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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. march — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rock — a stone
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. net — in sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. rock — music
  13. march — the month
  14. kick — in football
  15. net — after costs
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. club — a group
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. march — the month
  22. net — for catching
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. club — for golf

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