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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: game · wave · prune · board · rest · key · tear · stock

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. game — wild animals
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stock — shares
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — the most important part
  16. stock — goods
  17. rest — what's left
  18. key — for a lock
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a committee
  21. rest — a break
  22. prune — to trim
  23. game — a match
  24. stock — a soup base

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