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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stock — goods
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — a group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — shares
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for golf
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. degree — from a university

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