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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 116 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: pass · club · land · wake · kick · mine · stock · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — ground
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — a country
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stock — goods
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — for dancing
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — a group
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pass — a permit
  17. club — for golf
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. land — to come down
  23. stock — shares
  24. mine — for digging

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