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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · mark · row · mine · ball · net · wake · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. row — a line
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — for digging
  8. net — for catching
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — after costs
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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