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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: wave · nail · stock · net · present · bowl · content · straw

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. content — the amount
  7. present — the time now
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stock — shares
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. stock — goods
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stock — a soup base

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