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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stock — shares
  6. lean — thin
  7. stock — goods
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stem — to come from
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — a group
  13. tube — a container
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. march — music
  17. object — to protest
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. object — a thing
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for golf
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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