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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — a container
  7. stock — shares
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. row — a line
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rock — a stone
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stock — a soup base

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