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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. court — of a king
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — of law
  14. stock — shares
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. season — in sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stock — goods
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stock — a soup base

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