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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. field — a subject
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bass — low music
  8. field — farmland
  9. bass — the fish
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. craft — boats
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. field — for sport
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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