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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: fall · cue · wake · stock · bass · row · fan · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. stock — goods
  17. row — a line
  18. bass — low music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — shares
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — a trail

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