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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · march · stock · saw · key · straw · spell · fan

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — a short time
  9. key — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stock — shares
  15. spell — magic
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. key — the most important part
  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