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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. track — a song
  4. stock — goods
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. track — a path
  22. stock — shares
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — to keep track

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