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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: bowl · pound · stock · squash · fork · bay · nail · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stock — shares
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. stock — goods
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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