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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.

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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. shower — to wash
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. season — of the year
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bat — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — in sport
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stock — goods

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