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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · tube · ball · bay · roll · swing · stock · pitcher

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. roll — a list
  22. stock — goods
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bay — a horse colour

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