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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · stock · racket · mate · rush · row · suit · track

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — shares
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. suit — clothes
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — goods
  15. mate — to breed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — a song
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mate — a friend
  22. track — a path
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — a line

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