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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: can · row · stock · wind · firm · land · fan · arm

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a line
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — goods
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — steady
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stock — shares
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — a country
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. firm — a company
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. wind — to turn a key

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