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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stock — goods
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. shower — rain
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bass — low music
  16. stock — shares
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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