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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: cue · can · straw · mate · key · pop · wave · stock

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pop — to visit
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — a partner
  12. key — for a lock
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pop — soda
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pop — music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. key — in music
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stock — goods

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