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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stock — goods
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. firm — a company
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cue — for pool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. firm — decided

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