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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: bay · row · racket · pit · fall · toast · stock · wave

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. toast — bread
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fall — the season
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stock — shares
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pit — a hole
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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