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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 120 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: bowl · last · firm · hand · stock · wave · coach · club

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. firm — steady
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. firm — decided
  6. last — final
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. club — for golf
  9. stock — shares
  10. hand — help
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — finally
  15. club — a group
  16. last — to go on
  17. stock — goods
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. hand — in cards
  24. firm — a company

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