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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: stick · club · fan · scale · wake · mouse · wave · firm

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. club — a group
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — for dancing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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