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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cue — a hint
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. craft — a skill
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stock — shares
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stock — goods
  20. cue — a signal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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