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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: stock · wave · squash · toast · chest · current · pound · degree

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. current — of water
  4. chest — of your body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chest — a box
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. degree — from a university
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. current — electric
  13. pound — a weight
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stock — goods
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. degree — temperature
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — happening now
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pound — for dogs

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