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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. content — happy
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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