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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 ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. court — for sport
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — goods
  7. shower — rain
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — of a king
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mug — a face
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — to wash
  23. court — of law
  24. club — for golf

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