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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. season — in sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — clothes
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — shares
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — a division
  15. club — for dancing
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fork — in a road
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — goods
  24. ball — a great time

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