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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. file — a tool
  7. last — to go on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. rest — a break
  24. pound — a weight

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