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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. snap — to click
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — goods
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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