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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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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: swing · suit · shower · toast · wake · stock · cue · net

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. shower — rain
  3. swing — music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. net — in sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. net — for catching
  11. wake — a trail
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. toast — bread
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cue — a hint
  18. net — after costs
  19. cue — a signal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stock — shares
  24. suit — in cards

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