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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · fan · bass · stock · season · key · court · lean

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lean — thin
  5. court — for sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. court — of law
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stock — shares
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stock — goods
  18. key — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. court — of a king
  24. key — for a lock

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