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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stock — goods
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stock — shares
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. mug — a face
  22. degree — from a university
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bass — the instrument

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