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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: toast · pop · wave · bound · fall · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — the season
  5. pop — music
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pop — soda
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. toast — bread
  12. stock — goods
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bound — tied together
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — of the sea

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