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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — goods
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. net — for catching
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stock — shares
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — a container
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. tube — the underground

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