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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 120 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: wave · pound · land · key · perch · stock

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — to come down
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. key — in music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — ground
  16. stock — shares
  17. land — a country
  18. key — the most important part

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