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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — shares
  7. game — a match
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — a grade
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stock — a soup base

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