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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · stock · bat · present · saw · key · bass · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. present — the time now
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stock — goods
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — shares
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. key — in music
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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