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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: craft · game · mark · stand · firm · land · row · fan

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. firm — decided
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. firm — steady
  13. row — a line
  14. land — ground
  15. row — to paddle
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — a match
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. craft — boats
  21. mark — a trace
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — wild animals
  24. firm — a company

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