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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — shares
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pit — in a race
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pit — a hole
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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