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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: pop · plane · band · court · stock · wave · mug · fork

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mug — a cup
  6. band — a music group
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stock — shares
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — soda
  17. stock — goods
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — for sport
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pop — music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. band — a ring

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