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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. pop — to visit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. row — a line
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a song
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. track — a path
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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