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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: pop · staff · hand · wave · scale · ground · game · stock

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ground — a position
  6. stock — shares
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pop — to visit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — in music
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pop — music
  24. game — a match

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