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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
468
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: bear · wave · date · rule · bank · field · stock · game

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rule — government
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stock — shares
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. field — for sport
  12. stock — goods
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bank — for money
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rule — a law
  23. date — the fruit
  24. game — a match

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