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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. stock — goods
  5. bound — certain
  6. land — to come down
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — shares
  23. land — ground
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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