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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: cabinet · wind · rash · stock · wave · pitcher · fork · object

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stock — shares
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. object — a thing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stock — goods
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rash — a series
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — moving air
  22. object — to protest
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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