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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wake — a trail
  5. vault — a safe
  6. club — a group
  7. scale — size or range
  8. club — for golf
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. net — in sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stock — shares
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. net — for catching
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. net — after costs
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. scale — in music

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