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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — a company
  11. stock — goods
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — steady
  18. spring — the season
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. firm — decided
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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