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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · cell · stock · firm · wave · mouse

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stock — shares
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. firm — decided
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology

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