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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: ground · deal · bat · spell · wave · stock · mark · net

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ground — a position
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. net — for catching
  15. mark — a trace
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spell — letters
  24. stock — shares

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