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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. ball — a dance
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stock — shares
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — the underground
  13. row — to paddle
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. track — a song
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a line
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ball — a great time

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