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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: spell · bore · fan · stock · band · present · racket · lie

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. present — there
  6. stock — shares
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. spell — magic
  9. bore — to drill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spell — letters
  12. band — a ring
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — a gift
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — goods
  22. band — a music group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — a loud noise

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