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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — a phone
  6. firm — decided
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. land — ground
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. land — a country
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. firm — a company
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — a tin
  19. firm — steady
  20. land — to come down
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wake — before a funeral

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