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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. land — ground
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. club — a group
  6. fine — all right
  7. club — for golf
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. land — to come down
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stock — shares
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fine — high quality
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. land — a country
  22. lean — thin
  23. club — for dancing
  24. root — of a word

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