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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · spell · stock · track · band · bulb · game · season

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a match
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — in sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — magic
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — wild animals
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. spell — letters
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. track — a path
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stock — shares
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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