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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: pound · stock · court · fall · cue · rash · track · wave

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. court — of a king
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — for sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. track — a song
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rash — a series
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — hasty
  16. court — of law
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — a path

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