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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: fan · object · pit · row · tear · stock · charge · sharp

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — an aim
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. object — a thing
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stock — goods
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stock — shares

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