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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.

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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: cap · bass · last · present · stock · tube · fan · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cap — a hat
  3. last — final
  4. present — there
  5. stock — goods
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the fish
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tube — a container
  21. stock — shares
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — the instrument

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