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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stock — shares
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — to shout
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fall — the season
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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