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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 116 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: dip · club · press · can · fan · stock · prune · fall

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fall — the season
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stock — goods
  11. can — to be able to
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. stock — shares
  21. club — for dancing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. press — a publisher
  24. dip — a sauce

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