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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. snap — to click
  3. stock — goods
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bass — low music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ground — the earth
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ground — a position
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stock — shares

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