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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — shares
  12. club — a group
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — for golf
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitcher — a jug

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