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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 124 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. root — of a plant
  6. stock — shares
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stock — goods
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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