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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bass — low music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — the amount
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — shares
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cue — a hint
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. content — happy
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stock — goods
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bass — the instrument

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