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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: chair · craft · fan · mouse · stock · trunk · drill · bound

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — shares
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bound — certain
  16. stock — goods
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — boats
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bound — obliged
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mouse — the animal

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