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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. club — a group
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — a permit
  18. club — for golf
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stock — goods
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stock — shares

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