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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 120 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: stick · row · fan · hand · sharp · stock · firm · object

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. row — a line
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. firm — decided
  7. row — to paddle
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. stock — goods
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. object — a thing
  14. firm — steady
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — a company
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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