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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 116 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: wake · chip · hand · racket · fall · stock · bulb · object

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fall — the season
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stock — shares
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — to drop

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