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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stock — shares
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. game — wild animals
  6. firm — a company
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. firm — decided
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — steady
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — goods
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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