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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: saw · stock · toast · pop · rest · fall · wave · club

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rest — a break
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — for golf
  12. pop — soda
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. club — a group
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — shares
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. club — for dancing

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