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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 120 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: wake · pop · scale · mate · mouse · stock · object · leaves

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mate — a partner
  10. scale — in music
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — a trail
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. object — a thing
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stock — goods
  19. pop — soda
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pop — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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