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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: wake · scale · stock · bass · mark · fan · charge · wave

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stock — goods
  4. mark — a grade
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — electricity
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bass — low music
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. scale — in music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mark — a trace
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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