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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stock — shares
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — in music
  17. spell — magic
  18. pitch — completely
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rock — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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