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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. scale — in music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. race — a contest
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. firm — a company
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. firm — decided
  14. race — humankind
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stock — shares
  17. race — the arms race
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — steady
  20. fork — in a road
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stock — goods

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