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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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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: calf · wake · stock · pound · rule · wave

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. rule — a law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stock — shares
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government

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