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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · object · land · stock · fan · game · cell · tear

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. game — wild animals
  5. object — a thing
  6. tear — from crying
  7. game — a match
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cell — in biology
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. tear — from crying

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