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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.

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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 · bowl · cabinet · racket · can · wound · stock · field

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — for sport
  5. stock — goods
  6. can — a tin
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — a tin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. field — a subject
  19. stock — shares
  20. field — farmland
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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